


Angel Ascending

by AsrielScarlet



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Erwin - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, I'm bad at these, Levi - Freeform, M/M, Multi, OC, Titans Origin, levixerwin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-21
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-08-16 14:36:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8106109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsrielScarlet/pseuds/AsrielScarlet
Summary: Over 1000 years ago, human’s selfishness took it’s toll. The earth was slowly deteriorating around them. The soil had become infertile, the forests had died off, and the water was polluted and undrinkable. In a last attempt to preserve themselves, mankind created a serum that would make them “stronger”, injecting it into the “chosen few”. It indeed made humans stronger. Giving them new bodies, stronger, larger and more capable to survive in the dying world. But, like all experiments, there were flaws. The injected few spiraled out of control, rage filling them. They turned against humans; and losing control of themselves, began to murder and eat the lesser race. These beings were called Titans. They drove humankind to the brink of extinction… And then you know the rest.





	

845: Fall of wall maria. Eren’s mom dies. The 3 go to work in the fields.  
846: Eren and others still working in fields. 250,000 people sent to take back land. 150 come back.  
847: Eren and others enlist in to the Cadets.  
850: Main story line starts. Shadis retired from commander in 846 after everyone died. 

Erwin: 30  
Levi: 29  
Hange: 27  
Mike: 30  
Dita: 31

 

Chapter 1  
Year: 847  
Pov: 3rd Person 

Erwin Smith. Commander Erwin Smith of the Survey Corps. It had nearly been a year and he was still acclimating to the title. In the year 845, the unthinkable had happened. A 60 meter titan had appeared, peered over the so thought unbreakable wall, and without a second thought, smashed it, allowing the hordes of terrifying monsters they knew as Titans to invade, killing thousands of people and forcing the rest to run inside the second wall; Rose. As promptly as the massive Titan had appeared, it vanished into thin air. And then the second new Titan, the Armored Titan, appeared and smashed completely through the inner part of wall Maria, successfully ensuring the Titan’s reign on wall Maria. The funny thing was, the Survey Corps, often called the strongest soldiers for humanity, had left the walls on an expedition that morning. 

Erwin remembered that day clearly. He had left the walls that morning with his Squad, composed of his close friend from his early training days, Mike Zacharias, the eccentric (somewhat insane) woman obsessed with Titans, Hange Zoe, and 3 thieves from the criminal underground of the inner wall Sina. Their leader was a surprisingly short man with raven black hair, a cold apathetic glare and steely eyes, Levi. The two others were Levi’s “subordinates”, a sandy haired boy named Farlan Church and a girl with short crimson hair named Isabel Magnolia. Erwin had been sent to capture the three thieves, who had become rather notorious in the criminal underground of Wall Sina. He had done so successfully, and given Levi the chance to lend his strength to humanity, joining the Survey Corps, or have him and his friends handed over to the Military Police and undoubtedly suffer a more unpleasant fate. 

He remembered Levi’s eyes as he had glared up at him from where he was being held down in the mud. The determination. The hatred. The power. Levi had the eyes of a killer who had to fight for his life; who had taken countless other lives to preserve his. Erwin and Levi had lived completely different lives up until then. Erwin had grown up tucked safely away inside wall Sina. His father was a brilliant teacher, and his uncle was a high ranking military officer. He had grown up coddled by his relatives, treated with fine clothes and fed 3 opulent meals every day unknowing of the families struggling to survive in the outside walls. 

The thought sent a pang of disgust through him. How he could have been so ignorant, so happy with his lavish lifestyle, growing up and marrying off to another wealthy family. Levi was the utter opposite of him. Levi had grown up in the underground slums under Wall Sina, being treated like garbage and tossed aside by everyone. He had never known eating 3 meals a day. Never known what it meant to sleep in a warm bed every night. Never known what is was like to walk down the street without worrying about being killed. Levi was strong. Fierce. Proud. Deep down, Erwin wished that he could have had that unyielding strength when he was young.  
Erwin remembered the harsh “...Fine, I accept your offer.” That Levi had spat at him, after a moment’s hesitation. Erwin knew that the young criminal would wait till his back was turned, and attempt to kill him. He saw the resolve in those steely eyes. Those eyes intrigued Erwin. Levi was a puzzle and Erwin appreciated the occasional puzzle.  
It had almost been a year since Erwin had taken in the 3 criminals and he was still interested in the raven haired boy. Their relationship was still formal, whenever Levi addressed him as “sir” there was a flash of disgust, though it had lessened quite a bit since their first encounter. 

Erwin remembered that afternoon, after a few hours of riding without incidence, the sky had clouded over and the rain had begun to pour. The Long Range Scouting Formation Erwin had created had been rendered ineffective, the flare guns they used wouldn’t work in the rain and fog. He remembered the scout that had sprinted up on an exhausted horse, reporting that the right flank had been attacked by Titans. Levi’s Squad. He had found Levi crouched in a pool of blood, 10 disintegrating Titan corpses surrounding him, next to the half eaten corpses of Isabel and Farlan. He remembered how Levi had glared up at him with the hatred of 1000 men, his hatred hiding the pain in his dark eyes. 

“It’s your fault.” 

He remembered the frantic return back to the Walls after a scout had informed Shadis, the current commander that the outer wall had been breached.  
He remembered his horror upon returning to the walls, seeing the gaping hole that had been formed and the Titans ambling in. Levi had said nothing, his eyes had been cold and gray as he refilled his gas and blade supply on his 3D Maneuver Gear. Levi had jumped into the fray, even as Erwin ordered him to stay; that it was pointless to fight the Titans because the outer wall was gone. Levi had slashed through countless Titans that day, in an attempt to alleviate the hatred and sorrow that had built up from losing the two people who were as close to him as family. 

He remembered the night after the Survey Corps had returned. A small lithe shadow entered his room at 1 in the morning, thinking Erwin would be sleeping. He remembered the figure had held up a knife and was about to strike when Erwin had grabbed his wrist. Those gray eyes had held a flash of surprise before the figure kicked him in the stomach. He remembered wrenching the knife out of a powerful grip, and throwing it across the room. He had waited, taking every powerful hit that the figure, Levi dealt him. 

“Why?” He remembered asking Levi calmly. A blow to his face.  
“It was your damn fault they died you bastard! Fuck you! It was your fault they were on a separate team from me! I could have protected them DAMMIT!” A blow to his arm. There was deep pain in those merciless eyes. A pain that would haunt the raven haired boy for the rest of his life. 

He remembered grasping the boy’s wrists in an adamantine grip. Ignoring his attempts to break free. 

“ Was it me that killed your friends? Or was it you? I know you three were planning to kill me from the beginning. Do you really believe they would be alive if they tried to attack me?” A blow to his ribs.  
The pain had returned to those dark eyes, regret and remorse. 

“You’re right. It was my own fucking fault. It was my pride that killed them. I~” 

“It was not you! Listen to me. It was THEM. The Titans. Look around you. We know nothing of the Titans, or what they want, or where they came from. Go ahead. Kill me. And then what will you do? Live a stagnated existence back underground? Humanity needs your strength. FIGHT LEVI!” 

The punches had stopped. Levi had fallen silent, and though he hadn't said anything, Erwin saw his eyes. And they expressed everything. 

Erwin remembered the “mission” Commander Shadis had been forced to partake in the next year. The thousands of immigrants from Wall Maria had taken their toll on Wall Rose’s food supply. There had been a massive food shortage. And so, the King had ordered Shadis to take 250,000 immigrants, and send them to “retake wall Maria.” Erwin knew that this wasn’t an attempt to retake the wall. It was a slaughter of people in order to make the food shortage go down.  
He remembered walking down the streets of Wall Rose and seeing children huddled in the corners, emaciated and shivering. He had seen a blonde boy with shoulder length hair and blue eyes crying as his grandfather set a straw farmer’s hat on his head, turned and marched proudly out of the wall. He later watched that old man get ripped to pieces by the Titans. It had filled Erwin with hatred, disgust and disdain for those of Wall Sina, the wall he had grown up in.  
He remembered returning with the 150 people that had survived, the crying relatives of those who hadn’t survived and the haunted look on Shadis’ face. Later that week, Shadis had resigned and given the position of Commander to Erwin.  
“Lieutenant Erwin Smith of the Survey Corps! Will you hereby surrender yourself, all of yourself to protecting the Crown? To the protection of humanity?!” The children’s crying. 

“Yes, sir!” 

“Will you swear to protect the Crown with your life, are you willing to commit all of yourself? Are you willing to sacrifice anyone necessary in order to move humanity forward?!” Levi’s punches. 

“Yes, sir!” 

“Will you set aside all emotions to protect the greater good? Will you lose your own humanity?!” The countless lifeless corpses of his fallen comrades. 

“Yes, sir!” 

“Now, then! Salute! Give your entirety to the sake of humanity!!!”

On that day, Lieutenant Erwin Smith obtained the Wings of Freedom. He gave up his humanity for the sake of the greater good. He contracted himself into moving humanity forward through any means possible. He became humanity’s hope, their ray of light in the fight against the Titans. 

 

Commander Erwin Smith snapped out of his reverie and looked out over the wall from where he stood. It was early morning on December 13th, year 847. It had been 2 years since Wall Maria’s fall, one year from the time he became Commander. Since then, he had led the Survey Corps on many expeditions outside the walls. They had all ended in failure. He hoped today wouldn’t be the same.  
His breath came out in light icy puffs as he strolled along the top of Wall Rose. It was a frigid morning, a light dusting of snow had accumulated on the ground, causing everything to sparkle. He thought about the 53 expedition he would be leading that afternoon. The purpose of the expedition was to infiltrate the Titan infested Wall Maria as far as they could, set up new supply points along the way, and drop off supplies to the previous supply points. Erwin knew that there would be casualties, there always were and all he could do was hope not to get attacked by a horde of Titans.  
The sun had begun to rise over the mountains in the far east, the way they would be heading in a few hours. It’s warm rays lit the sky. Hues of orange, blue, and purple painted the sky in a truly scenic view. Erwin took a moment to admire the sunrise. He wished that one day, families would be able to see out to those mountains without the constant fear of Titans weighing on their shoulders. On that day, he thought, his mission would be completed and he would be able to smile sincerely for the first time in over 20 years. He already knew that day wouldn’t come in his lifetime. It would take a miracle, which was nigh impossible. 

He turned around when he heard the familiar whir of 3D Maneuver Gear in motion. A moment later, a familiar raven haired figure gracefully landed next to him.  
“Levi, good morning. You do realize that you could have used the stairs...” Erwin said with a smile. 

“Tch. That would take to long for my liking. Shitty glasses wanted me to inform you that the expedition members are ready along with the horses and supplies. We are ready to leave when you give the order.” Levi replied rolling his eyes. 

Erwin’s smile stayed on his face, amused by his friend’s sarcastic mention of Squad Leader Hange. Levi had stayed by his side for years, faithful and strong. Though, his attitude hadn't really improved from the first time Erwin met him… Nor his foul language. 

“Thank you for informing me. I will be down in a moment.” Erwin said. Levi responded with his usual “tch” before jumping down off the wall, propelling himself with the grappling hooks on his 3D Maneuver Gear, and landing gently on the ground far below. 

Erwin glanced down at the troops below. The expedition party was fairly small. It consisted of his squad along with Levi, Mike, and Hange’s squads. He left Dita behind in charge of the rest of the Corps. He only wanted the best on this expedition, for he knew infiltrating Wall Maria would be difficult, and he didn’t want any more casualties than necessary.  
With one last glance up at the mountains in the far distance, he jumped down off the 50 meter wall, and landed with a light tap on the ground where the squads were waiting.  
A small group of civilians had gathered around the Squads and were shouting things like “Go kill the Titans!” or “You can do it! Take humanity further!” Over the years, the Survey Corps had grown more popular among the citizens. Erwin was glad that humanity believed in moving forward once again.

Hange was ecstatic at the thought of capturing a Titan. Erwin still questioned her mental… Stability over all these years, but she had a ridiculously sharp mind and he saw her as a strong asset to humanity.  
“Ohhhh!!! I wonder what I should name the Titan we capture this time! WE WILL CAPTURE A TITAN! I WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN!!! Maybe we’ll see a Deviant! Eekk!!! Wouldn't that be amazing?! What if we run into a whole group of them!!! And what if they take a liking to me and make me their leader and what if they teach me all their Titan ways?! And then we can~” Hange’s ranting was drowned out as Levi slapped a hand over her mouth, an irritated glare on his face. 

“Tch. Shut it, shitty glasses. The only abnormal I see here is you.” Levi growled. 

Erwin looked on with amusement. Though, he too was glad Levi had stopped the Titan obsessed woman from continuing her rant. He mounted his horse, a white stallion, and turned to look at the expedition members. 

“Squads! All of you know the purpose of today’s expedition. If we succeed, humanity will grow stronger. I know all of you will do great!” He shouted words of encouragement to the members who saluted back at him with cheers and shouts. The enormous gate was lifted and with one last shout of “GO!” the Survey Corps rode off. 

It had been 4 hours, and although two Deviant Titans had broken through their ranks before, there had been no casualties. The Long-Range Scouting Formation was working well, the sky was fairly cloudy but there was no rain or fog to stop the flare guns. The members were excited at the thought of no deaths this expedition. If that happened, it would be a first in the whole Survey Corps existence. Erwin knew better than to get their hopes up though. He knew that when things were looking good, members would drop their guards and disaster would strike. 

Indeed disaster did strike. A few hours later, a group of 15 Titans had attacked the rear left flank, demolishing 3 teams and injuring many more before help could arrive. The rest of the group had no choice but to leave behind the bodies of their fallen comrades and keep riding. Night was growing near, and after an exhausting day of riding and refilling supply points, Erwin ordered the remaining troops to stop and make camp.  
They had made it further than he had expected, which he was pleased about. They stopped at an old abandoned town on the outskirts of a forest of giant trees. Erwin vaguely remembered his father telling him about forests like this one. These thousand year old forests housed trees that were over 80 meters tall, and were a popular tourist attraction before the wall fell. He ordered Hange, and Levi’s squads to search outskirts of the town, and the forest to ensure they wouldn’t be attacked that night. This left his, and Mike’s squad to search the town for survivors (a highly unlikely happening but Erwin still looked every time they reached a new town.) The sun had disappeared into the mountains in the distance, and the cold was beginning to spread. Snow had also begun to fall, the thick white particles floated down from the heavens, gentle and transient. Though it was beautiful, Erwin knew how much trouble snow could cause on an expedition. He decided they would all stay the night in a large, castle like building that most likely acted as the town hall before the Titans invaded. It stood in the center of the town, and had a few large holes on the bottom levels, but the third and fourth floor remained undamaged. Erwin made plans for who would stand guard at different times of the night, and checked all the rooms in the building for signs of life. He found none. He then walked over to the water pump and tested that out. Much to his surprise (and pleasure) he found it to be working, which meant water in all the rooms would work as well. It was odd, but not completely out of the ordinary. Towns like this one used well water, which would stay good for hundreds of years. He was sure Levi would be glad to wash off all the “filth” accumulated from his day of riding and Titan killing, because Levi was notorious for being a clean freak.  
With a sigh, he stood on the roof, looking out at the forest of giant trees, and waiting for his Squad Leaders to return. 

 

Levi sighed. He gracefully flew through the forest, propelling himself along, making sure he wouldn’t use too much gas. He had sent his new Squad members, Petra Ral, Oluo Bozado, Eld Jinn and Gunther Schultz out to survey different parts of the forest. Snow had begun to fall, Levi noted with a grimace. Levi despised snow. Everyone else was reminded of “Christmas”, an ancient holiday of gifts and family but all it reminded Levi of was Isabel and Farlan… How they use to all huddle together in the cold when snow fell. It reminded him of them, and how he had been too weak to protect them. It reminded him of how the Titans took the only two things he cared about from him and how they would never come back. It filled him with a cold fury, and a longing for the things he had lost.  
A particularly large particle flew into Levi’s eye. He swore loudly and landed on a high tree branch, rubbing his eye in an attempt to rid himself of the coldness. He hadn't seen any Titans in the entire time he had been flying through the forest. It struck him as off. He knew these woods were typically filled with Titans… So why weren’t there any now… Thinking back, they hadn't seen nearly as many Titans the nearer they drew to the forest. Could there be something in the forest repelling them? It’s unlikely… But if there is, I need to find it. Levi jumped off of the branch and shot into the mass of trees, faster than ever. 

“AWWWW!!!! Why haven’t I seen any Titans?! I want to see them and capture them and learn more about them!!!” Hange screamed as she flew through the trees.  
Her assistant, a brown haired man Moblit Berner frantically tried to calm the eccentric woman down. He knew that her screams might attract Titans, and that would not be a good thing. 

“Ugg! Squad leader! Please stop screaming! You might attract Titans! Which is what we’re trying NOT to do!” Moblit pleaded. He knew his somewhat insane squad leader was in a frenzy after not being able to get close to the Titans all day. It made her even more reckless than usual, which was frightening considering her usual hyperactive demeanor. 

“Moblit! Someone like you would never be able to understand the splendor of Titans! You don’t understand what it’s like! Being forced to keep a distance from them for so long! From their giant stupid faces and amazing regenerative skills!!! I MUST FIND ONE!!!” She screeched, hurting Moblit’s ears. 

Moblit sighed. When his squad leader got like this, there was no stopping her. He decided to just follow her, and do his best to protect her from getting herself killed. 

Mike Zacharius sniffed. He smelled something odd. The odor wafted from the forest of giant trees. He hadn't smelled anything like that in the entire time he had been in the Survey Corps. It smelled like a human, and a corpse at the same time. Different from Titans, who smelled like rotting flesh and blood. And different from his dead comrades. It smelled wild and nothing like that from within the walls. He knew it was alive, but something human out here must have come from inside the walls. Could it be… A human that came from outside the walls before the fell? The thought was foreign and exciting. If it really was a human from outside the walls… Mike jumped off of the roof from where he was standing, and swung over to Erwin. He had known Erwin for a long time, since they had both joined the Cadets together.  
Erwin turned as Mike landed up next to him. 

“Yes, Mike? I presume everything has been checked and cleared?” Erwin asked him. 

“Yes. There are no Titans or survivors in the town. But, I smell something strange…” 

He replied and explained the odd odor he smelled coming from the forest. A flash of interest and excitement filled Erwin’s eyes, before they returned to their usual icy blue calm.

“... I see. Then it would be best to go investigate. If it is indeed a human from outside the walls, this could move humanity forward exponentially.” Erwin said, without emotion. Mike knew that he was excited. He had been waiting for something like this to happen his entire life. Something unexplained and foreign. Something that could take humanity forward. The two looked at each other, and after assigning a Team Leader to keep watch, flew into the forest. 

Levi didn’t know how deep into the forest he was, he estimated that he was nearing the center, though. He wondered how his Squad was, where they were, if they had been attacked. He wasn’t particularly worried, he had chosen the best soldiers he could find to be on his new Squad after Erwin had promoted him to a Squad Leader. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of movement. Something else was flying through the trees. He quickly detached his grappling hook from the tree, and flew towards the moving shape. Could that be whatever’s repelling Titans from the forest? He tacked the shape and they both landed on a large tree branch.  
“Oof! What the hell?! Oh heyyyy Levi! Have you found any Titans yet? I haven’t! I wonder why! It’s all so strange! But it’s kind of exciting don’t you think?! I mean I wonder if the Titans are~” Levi slammed his hand down onto the mouth of Hange Zoe. 

“Shitty glasses, if you don’t shut that trap you call a mouth right now, I’ll slit your throat.” Levi snapped, irritated that he hadn't found anything of interest. She shut up, but her eyes were still alight with her passion of Titans… A moment later, Moblit landed next to them, a concerned expression on his face as he looked down at his squad leader.  
“Moblit, take this wreck of insanity you call your Squad Leader.” Levi growled as he got up. He untangled his wires from the mess and stood up, glaring. Moblit flinched and was about to speak up, when two familiar figures landed on a tree branch beside them.  
“Commander Erwin! And Squad Leader Mike! Sirs!” Moblit shouted and saluted.  
“At ease, Moblit.” Erwin said.  
“Tch. What the hell are you two here for?” Levi snapped. He knew Erwin wouldn’t leave position unless something important happened. Had the camp been attacked when he was gone?  
Erwin smiled at him, understanding what his subordinate was most likely thinking.  
“Calm down, Levi. We are not under attack. As a matter of fact, we haven’t seen any Titans since we got here… Mike informed me that he smelled something odd, so we came to investigate.” Erwin notified Levi. Levi’s tense posture lightened up a bit, but he was still on guard.  
“Odd?” He asked. Mike relayed the odd scent he smelled, and Hange’s expression lit up.  
“So you really think it could be a human from outside the walls?! How exciting! Can I keep them?! I wonder how they lived out here for so long!!! I wonder if they know how to kill Titans! I wonder if they know what Titans are! Well, of course they would I mean~ mmph!” Levi had his hand over her mouth again, as everyone flinched away from her loud shrieks.  
“Hange, we don’t even know if it’s a human or not. It could be a Titan for all we know at the moment. But, if it is a human, we will take them into custody and I will put them under your… Observation until we return to the walls. Is that OK with you?” He sighed and said soothingly. He often had to remind himself that she was a brilliant scientist to keep from expelling her from the Corps.  
She jumped up. “Yahoooo!!!! YESSSSS!!!!”  
Everyone flinched.  
“Moblit. Please find Levi’s Squad and take them back to the base. I give command of the base over to you, when you return.” Erwin ordered Moblit. He saluted and flew off, still a bit concerned for his squad leader’s health.  
“Now. We need to find this mysterious being before anything else. Mike, is it close?” Erwin asked. Mike nodded.  
“It’s straight ahead by about 50 meters. It’s in the center of the clearing… I also smell Titans. Lots of them. We should proceed with caution.” Mike said and sniffed the air.  
“We will stay close to the trees. When we get closer, make no sudden movements. Levi, you come with me. Hange, Mike, you two circle around. “ Erwin ordered the group. They nodded. Hange was practically jumping off the branch before Erwin could finish talking. She flung herself into the trees, and Mike sighed, wondering how Moblit dealt with the hyperactive woman all the time… 

Erwin and Levi swung through the branches, not hesitating to slow down for each other. They both knew how fast the other could fly.  
“... You think it’s really a human?” Levi inquired after a moment.  
Erwin had a grim look on his face.  
“If it is, we’ll have to capture them. We cannot risk them escaping, they hold information that we need.” He replied. Levi just nodded.  
They saw the clearing up ahead. And sped up. They halted suddenly at the edge of the clearing, landing side by side on a branch. Surprise lit up Levi’s face.  
The first thing Levi noticed was that the clearing, that should have been covered knee deep in snow was covered in grass as green as spring. He glanced up at the sky, watching the cold particles float down to the grass, then melt as quickly as they fell. The second thing he noticed was that the large clearing, a circle that was a good 50 meters round was filled with Titans. There must have been at least 25 of them. All sizes from 3 meter to 15 meter.  
“Shit!” Levi cursed, and was about to retreat further into the trees when Erwin stopped him, holding up a hand.  
“Wait.” He said firmly. “Look. Most Titans would have attacked by now… But these ones aren’t.”  
Levi looked at the clearing again and saw that Erwin was correct. The Titans hadn't so much spared a glance for the two men. They looked as if they were… Lounging? Could Titans even lounge around doing nothing? It was the closest thing Levi could call what they were doing. All the Titans were sitting down, facing an enormous tree that stood in the center of the clearing. The tree was ridiculously thick around the bottom. It looked like a thousand year old gnarled oak tree, it’s thick branches spiraling outward and up towards the snowy sky. It’s leaves were still green, even though the temperature was well below freezing. Was that tree repelling the Titans from other places? Erwin’s mind raced with thoughts, ideas. Could they somehow use this tree to their advantage? He looked across the clearing and saw the small shape of Hange and Mike. Hange seemed to be jumping up and down, before she pulled out a notebook and started furiously writing.  
What happened next, no one could have guessed. A 15 meter titan that looked more... Humanlike (though Levi hated to say it) than all the others stood up. Then, it looked right at Mike and Hange. Erwin tensed, ready to spring into action and cut the Titan down if need be. Hange looked ecstatic and started jumping up and down. Honestly, that woman would get herself killed one day… Mike had his swords drawn and was about to jump off the branch and kill the Titan when it slowly turned away from him.  
This had never happened. Ever. A Titan ignoring a human? Erwin’s eyes widened. The Titan slowly turned around, leaving it’s neck wide open. Mike shot Erwin a glance, but Erwin held up his hand, stopping Mike. The Titan lumbered toward the tree, and once it had reached it, reached it’s giant hand inside the tree.  
“What the fuck is going on…” Levi muttered next to him. More to himself than anyone else.  
The Titan had reached inside the enormous tree’s trunk, and Erwin now saw there was a hollowed out piece of the trunk. When the Titan retracted it’s hand, Erwin saw clutched in it… A girl?  
Levi saw it as well, a small body rested in the Titan’s hand. Even more strange was that the Titan didn’t look like it meant to harm the girl at all. It held the body in the palm of it’s hand. It didn’t drop the girl, raise the body to it’s face, or close it’s fist.  
“Erwin! That thing has a human! We need to kill it NOW!” Levi hissed. Erwin narrowed his eyes. The snow was coming down harder, the cold was slowly making itself apparent in his body but he couldn’t worry about that now. He held his hand up, once again stopping Mike and Levi from jumping in. They both looked at him incredulously. But he had a good reason for doing so. He needed to find out as much about this strange group of Titans. If they all were like that one… If they ignored humans… Could they be used against other Titans? Could they have just found something ground breaking?  
The Titan raised it’s other hand towards the girl, and now Erwin withdrew his blades. The Titan reached out, almost… Gently. With one finger, it slowly poked the girl’s unconscious form. It didn’t move to crush her with it’s palm, just poked the girl, like a child pokes their sleeping friend awake.  
The girl’s eyes suddenly opened. Everyone felt it. A pressure like a weight had been dropped on their chests fell upon everyone the second that girl opened her eyes. The girl sat up groggily in the palm of the Titan. Long silver hair cascaded around her as she pushed herself into an upright position. She glanced up at the Titan holding her, as if she somehow knew the monster from before. It filled Erwin with a sense of awe. A Titan and human interacting… And furthermore, a human all the way out here? He knew that things could take a turn for the worst in a second, and he couldn’t let the girl get eaten by a Titan. He nodded to Mike and Levi. The three of them hurled themselves at the 15 meter Titan. Levi slashed through the napes of 7 other titans before he reached the 15 meter. They didn’t even try to fight back, sitting but now facing the girl. All of them had their usual stupid expressions on their faces. Erwin killed 5 Titans, and Mike slaughtered 6. The moment the girl saw Levi hurtling towards her, leaving behind a wake of dead Titans, her face contorted with an emotion akin to rage.  
Mike suddenly flew behind the 15 meter, latched onto the back of it’s neck, flew towards it, and slashed it’s nape. It roared loudly, before it’s knees fell underneath it. It fell down with the girl still in it’s large hand. Erwin sent a grappling hook into the giant tree, before flying underneath the 15 meter Titan’s falling body and snatching up the girl right before she hit the ground. To his surprise, the girl didn’t wear a mask of fear on her face. Instead, there was a look of hatred. He landed with her on one of the large branches protruding from the giant oak tree.  
He gently placed her down onto the branch, before shouting, “Mike! Levi! Hange! Kill the rest of the Titans! Hange?! Where is Hange?!”  
“Yahhoooo!!!!” A voice echoed from above, and Hange dropped down from where she had been furiously writing.  
“Erwin! Can I capture one?! Please?! Oh the experiments I could do!!!” She screeched, grinning at the Titans.  
Erwin thought for a moment. These Titan’s were different. They didn’t seem interested in humans at all. All they seemed interested in was the girl in his arms. Then again, the fact that they were interested in the girl posed danger in itself. He had to do what was best for the greater good and keep the Titans away from her. For now.  
“No, Hange. Not now. We have the girl though.” He told her. Her face fell for a moment before glancing at the girl and smiling. “Jackpot!” She screamed before jumping into the fray alongside Levi and Mike.  
The three worked efficiently, taking out the remaining 14 Titans. Which wasn’t hard, considering none of them were moving. When they were done, nothing but steam and disintegrating Titan corpses littered the ground.  
Erwin looked down at the girl, and found her staring up at him. Her eyes were an odd color. They were silver, just like her hair, and so clear that they were transparent. She had a shocked expression on her face, Erwin just put it to all the drama that had just unfolded before her.  
“It’s OK. My men just took care of the rest of those Titans. You’re safe now.” He said firmly. Blue eyes met silver. He only had a moment to widen his eyes before a foot shot up and into his stomach. He had not expected that.  
His years of military training reacted for him and his hand shot out, blocking the blow. The girl’s shocked expression had disappeared from her face and a look of cold fury replaced it. She threw a punch at the left side of his face. Erwin spun around, dodging the blow. Immediately, she dropped to the ground and tried to swipe his legs out from under him. He shot himself further up into the tree, surprised at the strange girl’s actions. Her hits were strong, practiced. But she didn’t look much older than 15 or 16.  
He didn’t have time to think, because she jumped off of the branch. The fall to the ground was a long one, one he knew she couldn’t survive if she landed on the ground. He wondered what she was trying to accomplish? Was she trying to kill herself to avoid being captured? Was she the only human out here? And if so, how did she survive out here? How did she even end up out here? And what relationship did she have with the Titans?  
“Levi!” 

Levi glanced looked over at the girl that Erwin had captured before he turned back to the Titans. What the hell were they doing? They didn’t even react as he whirled through them and ended their lives… The fuck? Levi was thoroughly perplexed by the damn monster’s reactions. They were all acting like they were on damn drugs. Was it that girl’s doing? He slashed through another Titan. He looked over at Hange who was shouting what sounded like praises at the Titans before slaughtering them. He shook his head. What was wrong with that woman? Mike was silently slicing through Titans, a look of grim determination on his face. At least he can do his job properly unlike Shitty Glasses over there… Levi thought as he killed his 8th Titan.  
Most of the Titans were taken care of before Levi looked back over at Erwin and the odd girl. He was shocked when he saw her attack him, then jump off of the tree branch, 25 meters from up from the ground. Why the fuck had he let her do that?!  
“Levi!” He heard Erwin shout as the girl plummeted towards the ground. He swore loudly and changed directions, shooting toward the falling girl and catching her before she hit the ground. When he touched her, he gasped. Her body was as cold as ice. He almost dropped her before swinging her down to the ground. 

The moment her feet touched the ground, she let out a feral growl, ripping herself from Levi’s grip and made a dash towards the remains of the 15 meter Titan. Tch. So this is how the little shit would repay him for saving her life? He thought not. He lunged forward and grabbed her ice cold arm. She responded by dropping close to the ground, and sending a kick up at his face. He instinctively let go of her arm, and she dashed forward once again. How the fuck was she so fast?! She had reached the steaming pile of bones, all that remained of the 15 meter Titan. She plopped to her knees before the mess of blood and bones that was quickly disappearing, and raised her head up to the sky. 

Before any of them knew what she was doing, she let out a loud scream. It was more of a howl than a scream. It held so much emotion, so much rage that Erwin, Mike, and Hange stopped in their tracks where they were running after her. The dying scream of a cornered animal… Levi thought. He remembered the rabbits him and Farlan use to hunt. He remembered how they would let out a similar shriek every time they were cornered, about to be killed.  
All was silent for a moment. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. That’s when they heard it. It sounded like a thousand feet thundering toward them. Levi only had enough time to curse before more Titans than he could count poured into the clearing.  
“Levi! Get the girl and retreat! NOW!” He heard Erwin yelling. Dammit what the fuck is this brat?! He thought, before sprinting forward and grabbing the girl around her waist. He thought he heard a squeak of surprise coming from her mouth, but had no time to think about it. He shot into the giant trees as the Titans poured into the clearing. They stopped and looked around, as if they were looking for something. It’s that brat. She fucking called all of them. How?! What IS SHE?! He felt the small figure struggling in his arm, she was letting out shrill screams and thrashing around so hard, that Levi had to stop on a branch deeper in the forest.  
“Listen you little shit, I don’t know what the fuck you are, or how you did that back there, but you’re going to have to stop struggling.” He spat at her. When she didn’t stop, he glared. “Tch. Fine. Just remember I gave you a fuckin warning.” He took the back of his blade, and hit her on the back of her head. She went limp and sagged in his arms. He picked her up, surprised at how light she was… Seriously how the hell is this possible?! Levi thought and flew off. 

 

Erwin landed next to Levi, Hange, and Mike back at the base. Soldiers surrounded them, looking first at the blood that covered them, and then at the strange white haired girl Levi carried in his arms. Murmurs and rumors started spreading as they whispered to themselves.  
“Everyone, go back to your stations.” Erwin ordered sharply. The soldiers gulped and reluctantly hurried off.  
Hange was the first to notice.  
“Umm… Levi.” She said, her face turned a peculiar shade of red.  
“What, shitty glasses? Is there something wrong with your head or something?” He growled at her, done with all the crap going on.  
“Ehh… Look at her, Levi.”  
Huh?  
He glared down at the silver haired girl and finally noticed what Hange was so flustered about. The girl didn’t have any clothes. Levi previously thought that she was wearing some sort of white clothing, but it turned out to be her skin. It was as pale as the snow falling around them, taking on an almost sickly color. He dropped her. Hange let out a gasp.  
“Levi! What the hell! You can’t just drop her like that! Here! Let me take her!”  
Levi was more than happy when Hange picked up the girl’s small form and wrapped her green cloak around her. It was big enough to cover most of her sleeping form, but not all of it.  
Erwin coughed.  
“Hange, please go clean her up. The second floor has a washing room down the hall from the stairs. And find her some clothes. She’s dangerous. We all know that now. If she wakes up while you’re cleaning her, knock her out again. When she’s properly… Dressed, gag her, and tie her up. I want those ropes to be unbreakable. Then, bring her to the third floor, second room. Mike, Levi. Come with me. We have things to discuss.”  
Hange grinned. It seemed even the cold commander of the Survey Corps was still a man. She picked up the girl and started walking up to the bath, smiling and humming all the way.


End file.
